Background Purpose of This Phase of Project Development Analyze costs and benefits of commuter rail and bus rapid transit in corridor Refine and update alternatives considered to date Update costs and improve cost-effectiveness, and station area land development and redevelopment Conduct necessary environmental impact assessment Update financial and sponsorship plans Background (cont.) Results of This Phase Confirm local decision to proceed with commuter rail Complete Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for alternatives and recommended alternative Maintain eligibility for Federal discretionary capital funding Advance to Preliminary Engineering and eventual implementation
Background (cont.) Key Groups Involved Intergovernmental Partnership KRM Leadership Committee Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Purpose and Need Improve Transit Mobility and Access in the KRM Corridor Increase and improve travel options within and between the corridor and Northeastern Illinois Improve access to jobs and labor force Improve mobility for minority and low-income populations Alternative during IH 94 freeway reconstruction
Purpose and Need (cont.) Attract Increased Transit Ridership Faster and more convenient service Increased reliability Increased safety of travel Reduction in automobile use and highway traffic High potential to generate transit ridership Purpose and Need (cont.) Contribute to and Enhance Desirable Economic and Community Development Station area land development and redevelopment Provide transportation that supports area businesses and enhances local economies Regional economic benefits Preserve and Protect the Environment
Schedule Fifteen Month Schedule Major Milestones Conclude scoping process - March, 2006 Finalize cost and ridership estimates - September, 2006 Selection of Locally-Preferred Alternative (LPA) - October, 2006 Publish Preliminary Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) - January, 2007 Schedule (cont.) FTA Project Development and Approval Process ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS SELECTION OF LPA FTA EVALUATION PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING FTA EVALUATION FINAL DESIGN FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENT (FFGA) CONSTRUCTION
Preliminary Alternatives 1. Commuter Rail 2. No Action or No-Build 3. Transportation System Management (TSM) 4. Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
Commuter Rail Alternative Commuter Rail Alternative (cont.) Similar to and Coordinated with Existing Metra Service to and from Kenosha Two Operational Concepts 1. Independent Southeastern Wisconsin option with timed, cross-platform transfers to and from Metra trains at Kenosha or Waukegan 2. Through service option not requiring crossplatform transfers Station Locations and Service Levels Similar to Bus Alternatives
No-Build Alternative Essentially Reflects Current Transportation Systems and Conditions throughout the KRM Corridor
TSM Alternative TSM Alternative (cont.) The Best that can be Done to Address Identified Problems without Major Capital Investment Utilize and Improve Upon Current Transit Services Increased local, corridor and feeder bus service Increased park-and-ride capacity Traffic signal prioritization Passenger information systems Represents a Level of Capital Investment Greater than the No-Build Alternative but Substantially Less than the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or Commuter Rail Alternatives Increased Metra Service between Kenosha and Chicago
BRT Alternative BRT Alternative (cont.) High-Capacity Bus Alternative Providing Service Comparable to a Fixed-Guideway Rail Investment Coordinated with Existing Metra Service to and from Kenosha Includes all TSM Improvements Other Improvements Exclusive and/or semi-exclusive busway segments Compatible vehicle floor and platform heights Lane and signal prioritization On-line stations
Scope of Work Comparison and Evaluation of Alternatives Capital and operating costs Ridership forecasts User benefits Engineering and technical considerations Mobility and accessibility Impacts of Land Use Development and Redevelopment at Stations Estimation of potential influence of transit improvements Preparation of station-area land use development plans and policies Eventual endorsement and support by each community Scope of Work (cont.) Assessment of Potential Social and Environmental Impacts Traffic and transportation Safety and security Regional growth and development Noise and vibration Historic and archeological resources Water resources Hazardous materials Park and recreational lands Visual and aesthetics Neighborhoods and communities Environmental Justice Air quality Ecosystems Energy and utilities Construction impacts
Public Involvement Scoping Process Public scoping meetings Written comments may be provided at meetings or sent directly to the Regional Planning Commission Deadline for public comments March 24, 2006 KRM Website at KRMonline.org Updated project information posted regularly On-line questions and comments welcomed Regular Public Information Meetings Public Involvement (cont.) Regular Newsletters Study Brochure Available during the Fourth Quarter, 2006 Public Hearing on Preliminary DEIS during the First Quarter, 2007 Your active involvement in this project is encouraged!
Station Area Development and Redevelopment Potential
Previous Studies and Actions 1998 Feasibility Study Completed Concluded commuter rail service in KRM corridor is technically and financially feasible 2003 Alternatives Analysis Completed Extensive support indicated at public meetings and hearings Recommended advancing commuter rail to Preliminary Engineering - State of Wisconsin would serve as project sponsor - Funding would be provided with Federal and State dollars Previous Studies and Actions (cont.) 2003 State Legislation Defined State s role in commuter rail development State can provide capital and operating assistance to locally-sponsored projects Will require a local funding share
Previous Studies and Actions (cont.) 2005 - Intergovernmental Partnership Formed Jointly created by: - County executives of Kenosha, Milwaukee and Racine Counties - Mayors of Cities Kenosha, Milwaukee, and Racine - Secretary of Wisconsin Department of Transportation - Chairman of the Regional Planning Commission Purpose and role is to complete the necessary technical and environmental studies to permit project to proceed to implementation Previous Studies and Actions (cont.) 2005 Leadership Committee Formed Consists of business leaders, elected officials, and the Transit Now group Purpose is to develop support and understanding for project implementation 2005 Regional Transit Authority Created Serves Kenosha, Milwaukee, and Racine counties Purpose is to recommend funding source for local share of project costs and RTA role in sponsoring and operating commuter rail and public transit in corridor